1. Field of Invention
The subject invention is related to an attachment for a hand tool, and more specifically to a shield for a wire cutting tool or snipping tool. The subject invention is more directly related to an attachment for a hand tool that protects the user, or other individuals close to the user, from debris propelled away from a hand tool during use of the hand tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tools used for clipping some materials, such as wire, solder, fingernails, etc. can often propel the clipped portion or clippings in a quick and unpredictable fashion. These clippings may cause injury to the user of the tool, or persons adjacent to the user. This problem is especially prevalent in today's micro-processor and computer industry--where copious numbers of circuit boards are manufactured. To properly prepare a circuit board for installation extraneous lengths of wire or solder must be identified and subsequently clipped away from each circuit board. Each technician responsible for clipping away these extraneous lengths of wire or solder is subject to injury from flying bits of wire or solder. Various devices exist which were designed to protect an individual using a clipping tool, or personnel adjacent the individual, from potentially dangerous flying clippings. However, there is considerable room for improvement in the field for shields for wire cutting tools and snipping tools.
The prior art includes a device which is an attachment for a wire cutting device and is intended to guard the user of the wire cutting device, or personnel in close proximity to the user, from injuries due to debris flying from the wire cutting device. Such a device is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,584. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,584 is comprised of a guard for a wire cutting tool, wherein the guard provides a pair of spaced side walls with integrally formed bottom and closure walls. U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,584 further discloses a bracket means for attaching the guard to a wire cutting device--the method of attaching the guard to a wire cutting device is comprised of smelting, welding or soldering. The guard taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,584 is rigid and rigidly attached to the wire cutting device
The prior art also includes a wire retainer and a diagonal or side cutting nipper with a wire retainer. The wire retainer, is made from sheet metal and is an attachment to a diagonal or side cutting nipper (a wire cutter); the wire retainer impinges upon the piece of wire being cut. The wire retainer is designed to prevent offcuts from dropping when wire is cut by an individual using the diagonal or side cutting nipper. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,983, 3,765,560 and 1,862,556. The wire retainers disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,983, 3,765,560 and 1,862,556 are rigidly secured to the diagonal or side cutting nipper, and the wire retainers are designed to contact the cutting portion of the diagonal or side cutting nipper during use of the nipper.
Several problems remain unresolved in the prior art. No device in the discovered prior art is capable of being resiliently deformed, and all devices in the discovered prior art are comprised of multiple components.
Further, the prior art teaches devices that, while attached to wire cutters and acting as shields or retention devices, impinge upon the piece of wire being cut, thus permitting the probable escape of the wire end being snipped off. The escape is even more probable if the piece being snipped is small.
A yet further problem remaining unresolved in the prior art is that no device in the discovered prior art is capable of ready or easy attachment to a wire cutter, or ready or easy detachment from a wire cutter.
A further problem that remains unresolved with the prior art is that no device in the discovered prior art is capable of attachment to multiple locations on a wire cutter, thus making it difficult or impossible to attach the guard to more than a single specific location on a wire cutter.
A further and final problem existing with the prior art is that no device in the discovered prior art is adaptable to more than one type of wire cutter, or is adaptable to hand tools other than wire cutters.
Thus, there exists in the art a need for a shield for a hand tool that is comprised of a single piece construction, is deformable and resilient, is easily attachable to and detachable from a hand tool, is capable of attachment to various types of hand tools, and that can be attached to multiple locations on a hand tool.